In 2011 I will...

New Year Resolutions. 

You've all made them at one point or another. So, what are we going to work on in 2011? Some of the usual like I will spend more time with family and friends, I will lose weight, I will spend more time reading, I will exercise everyday. Yeah yeah yeah, those are all well and good, but how much time have you added reading? spending time with fam? losing weight? You know how we played "let's take a good look at what we are thankful for" at Thanksgiving? We are going to do a New Year's version! Get ready. I am about to get down and figure out what I will really be resolving this year.

This year I will not have bangs. The cowlick inspired horn I had when I was a bangs head and three years old was obviously not enough to scare me away from the fringe forever. I experimented with the bangs (and the horn) again this year. Bad decisions all around. 2011 will be a bangs free year. Period.

This year I will smile more. Now, don't let this resolution fool you--it may sound like the usual default resolution, but it is not. I don't mean smile in the "I smile in the cheesy 24/7 no matter what happens" kind of way. Trust me, I've been on stage many times I know how tiring smiling can get. Ahh, the memories of achy, shaky cheeks or Vaseline on my teeth... But I am going to take my normal facial stance of mouth open/blank stare and make it more of an open mouth smile. That'll work, right?

This year I will learn how to prepare fondue. We got a fondue set for Christmas. Poor Russell had no idea what fondue was. After thoroughly explaining it to him he exclaimed, "Oh, so it's a snack?!" I have to make fondue so that I can give my father proper knowledge and culture.

This year I will run a 5k. And I really will, I've already registered and gotten all ready(ish) for my first 5k in February. So, even if I don't feel ready and I end up walking/jogging it, it is going to sneak up on me and I will do it. Santa brought me some nice running shoes :) He is such a helpful, resolution enforcing man.

Speaking of Santa, he also brought me this whole notepad of meal planning each week of the year. YES PLEASE. This year I will eat at home more and cook for my family. (They will eat healthier and looove all my cooking, of course). Minus Ann, she doesn't count for this one. Time to go use that new Williams and Sonoma gift card. And crack open that new cookbook. What goodies will we be eating?!

This year I will go to Disney. Shocking, I know. Disney is the best vacation of all and I'm sure I'll be needing the some of the best vacations this year. Obviously this resolution is code for I WILL VISIT MY LOVELY BROTHER LOTS BECAUSE I MISS HIM DEARLY.

There are lots of more things I hope to accomplish this year. This is the just the beginning of the list to bring me over into the beginning of the new year. The "older" I get (I am so old, chut up) the faster time seems to fly. I know just about everyone says this as they get older, but now I have realized how much truth is in that saying! 2010 was a busy year full of unexpected surprises, some good and some not so good. Was it a bad year? No way! (Especially because I survived, imagine that...) How can a year be bad when it is full of love from family, support from friends, ballet classes (and bruised toenails), pilates classes (iiiit's teaser time), drum lessons (a.k.a- therapy sessions), and babysitting and spending time with lots of precious little kiddies. That's right, the answer is it can't be bad and lawd knows it was far from it.

So, here's to a new year! Full of some new things, some old, some good, some bad, but I can't wait to start my new (bangs free, smiling, fondue eating, 5k running, meal planning, Disney going) year!

**HAPPY 2011**